Thursday, August 12, 2010

Allied Women

In my last blog, I told you about a story in the bible in which a good king seeks God’s help and receives it. God says, “You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13) I told you that I had noticed a pattern from the Old Testament of how Israel usually follows their king. If Israel has a good king, the people are good, but if they have a bad king, they follow his evil ways and go after other gods. There’s a lesson in this for us as Americans.

If we elect Godless leaders, then our nation will become Godless, but if we elect Godly leaders…

Someone has said, “So the laws go, so the culture goes.”

When Roe v. Wade legalized abortion…

When prayer was taken out of public schools…

America as a nation has been on a downward spiral away from God for a long time now. It certainly didn’t begin with the Obama Administration, but hopefully we have reached the climax with him and can turn the nation around and begin a march back toward our roots as a Christian nation.

Some friends of mine and I began praying during the last Presidential campaign not really believing what was happening. We prayed 2 Chronicles 7:14 a lot, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

I realized during that time that this verse was talking to me and my friends and others who are called by the name of Christ. “If MY people who are called by MY name, humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from THEIR wicked ways, then…”

American Christians, in general, aren’t on fire for the Lord. We’re weak in our faith and strong in the world. And, frankly, we’re too nice. Sometimes God requires a fight. Our apathy and our worldliness have gotten us where we are right now. It’s time for American Christians to be bold, to fight, and to put our working shoes on.

Another pattern I’ve noticed from the Old Testament is that when God makes a promise to Israel, it doesn't always happen right away, and many times it requires some effort on their part. Case in point, when God first gave Israel their promised land, it was inhabited. God had said it, so it was theirs, but they still had to fight for it. So, they marched into battle and won their land away from the wicked people who had lived there before them.

That's what we need to do, draw up a battle plan, bath it in prayer, and march into battle against the evil that is trying to destroy us.

Here’s what my friends and I did. First, we got ourselves educated about political issues. We have a conservative think tank here in Birmingham called the Alabama Policy Institute, so we met with its President, Gary Palmer, to talk about what we, as concerned citizens, could do. We learned that taking back our nation doesn’t begin with the White House, top to bottom, but rather with a more bottom up approach.

He advised us to work to develop a strong state government that could defend itself against big government ideology coming down from Washington. State government also feeds itself into the federal government. Governors become Presidents, and State Legislators become Congressmen. One of the big problems we have, Gary told us, is that good people are hard to come by. They just don’t want to get involved in politics. We need people to be willing to run for office. It’s icky out there, so I understand. But, in order to make the changes we need and want, then we’re going to have to put ourselves out there.

But, if you’re not ready to run for office yet, like me, there’s still so much that can be done. What we did was form an organization called Allied Women. We are a grassroots organization dedicated to changing the political landscape of Alabama in order that our home state can help change the political landscape of the nation. Our aim is to educate and to encourage activism. We have also set up a PAC in order to support candidates we feel reflect our conservative Christian views. We feel we can be the most effective in the November 2010 election by trying to overturn the Alabama State Senate.

Here’s why: Although Alabama ranks as the most conservative state in the nation, we rank 4th in the nation for political corruption. There’s really something wrong with that. The people of Alabama are for the most part conservative Christians, but the people we elect aren’t always. There are some good politicians here. For example, Governor Bob Riley has served this state well over the past eight years and goes down in my book as the best Governor our state has seen in quite some time. First, he fought against illegal gambling in our state. He fought because no one else would. He stood alone on the front lines of the battle many times. He also organized a great team to bring new jobs to our state. His economic developer, Neal Wade, is ranked as the top state economic developer in the nation.

But, Riley’s type of forward thinking and active approach to governing isn’t the norm in Montgomery. Gambling money runs deep into the pockets of many in our State Capital as does money from special interests groups like A.E.A. And, money gets people elected for some reason. Believe it or not, advertising works.

The Allied Women PAC has identified some key races in the 2010 election that we’d like to help influence. Top on our list as a “got to go” guy is a State Senator from Cullman named Zeb Little. He’s the kind of person who helps Alabama get that #4 ranking in political corruption handed down by the United States Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section. The ranking is based on the number of Alabama public officials who have been convicted of crimes. I personally have on file the newspaper article detailing Little’s D.U.I. He was arrested April 4, 2009 for driving under the influence, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, violation of the open container law, and driving with an expired license.

One of my good friends’ brother-in-law is still recovering from a coma one year after he was hit by a drunk driver. A couple who came to Date Night at the Grand, a marriage retreat Rick and I spoke at last month, told us they had lost their 18-month-old daughter due to a drunk driver. Then, there’s Siran Stacy whose wife and four of his children were killed by a drunk driver. We could go on and on and on about drunk driving… We all know this is bad. But, it’s not just that Zeb Little has been convicted of a DUI that Allied Women would like to see him de-seated.

We want to see Alabama State Senate seats filled with people who will fight for truth and transparency in government, who really care about the future of our state and our nation, people who stand for the conservative Christian values that we believe in, who aren’t controlled by special interests groups like A.E.A and those who want to see Alabama become a new Nevada. We hope to put through candidates to the Senate who will protect and preserve what is good about our state and will move it forward in an ethical and honest way.

One issue we are particularly concerned about is gambling. Here’s why… There is really no end to the money these people have to target our state, and once they’ve got us, they rule us. What I mean by that is that one of the biggest things you have to worry about when you legalize gambling is corruption in government. They start buying people off, buying votes, making things go well for themselves. This is what I mean by special interest. If a politician is concerned about what the guy over at Country Crossings wants him to do then his judgment can become skewed and he no longer has the best interest of his constituents as a whole in mind.

And, what do I mean by transparency in government? Well, take PAC-to-PAC transfers, which are currently legal in our state despite the fact that a bill to ban them has been put through the Alabama State House of Representatives for years now only to get torn apart in the State Senate, for example. Currently, one PAC can give to another then to another and then somewhere along the line the candidate will receive a donation. Following the money trail here in Alabama is almost impossible with that kind of behavior going on. The candidate will surely be informed of who is giving him or her the money, but John Q. Public will never know who the candidates he’s voting for are beholden to. This is one of the reasons it’s so important to overturn our liberal majority Senate in this November election, so it will stop stifling ethics legislation that could help Alabama turn around that #4 in political corruption problem we have here.

For these reasons the Allied Women PAC has identified 10 candidates for the Alabama State Senate we hope to support and elect come November. They are:

  1. Paul Bussman (against Zeb Little) in District 4 which includes Cullman, Lawrence, & Winston Counties
  2. Clay Scofield (against Tim Mitchell) in District 9 - Blount, Madison, & Marshall Counties
  3. Gerald Allen (against Phil Poole) in District 21 - Hale, Pickens, & Tuscaloosa Counties
  4. George Flowers (against Harri Anne Smith and Jennifer Adams) in District 29 including Dale, Geneva, & Houston Counties
  5. Paul Sanford (against Jeff Enfinger) District 7 - Madison County
  6. Bryan Taylor, Goveror Riley’s Policy Director (against Wendell Mitchell) in District 30 in Autauga, Butler, Crenshaw, & Elmore Counties
  7. Tom Whatley (against Ted Little) in District 27 – Lee, Russell, & Tallapoosa Counties
  8. Danny Joyner (against Marc Keahey) in District 22 which includes portions of Baldwin, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe, & Washington Counties.
  9. Phil Williams (against Larry Means) District 10 - Cherokee & Etowah Counties
  10. Greg Reed (against Brett Wadsworth) in District 5 - Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker & Winston Counties

We would sure like your help in this.

Allied Women is hosting a Nuts & Bolts Workshop on August 28th from 9 a.m. until noon at Cahaba Grand Conference Center on Highway 280 in Birmingham. We’ve partnered with American Majority, Eagle Forum, and Alabama Policy Institute to bring you up to speed on everything you can do to make a difference now.

Register on-line at www.alliedwomen.org.

11 comments:

  1. Wow! Your post is so inspiring! Politics seems so overwhelming and confusing, but I have hope that a few voices can make a difference.My friend Mistie and I are planning to attend the Boot Camp on the 28th and have decided to make a difference in whatever way possible to try to turn people's hearts back to God. We have created a Facebook page to start with named "Registered Christian Voter." We hope to use it to get out information and create a community for people to be encouraged to make a difference. Thank you for your obedience to God Our Father and your encouragement!

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  2. I disagree with some parts of your post. Let me explain.

    While I agree that "America as a nation has been on a downward spiral away from God for a long time now," I simply don't see how our decision at the ballot box has anything to do with it. This seemingly common idea that Democrats are the cause, or at least the manifestation, of this "downward spiral" and Republicans are the saviors is especially troublesome to me. I really don't see how the government has ANYTHING to do with our nation's spiritual health. If we want to correct our nation's spiral away from God, it is up to the Church: Christians, like you and me. The only way this happens is when you and I earnestly seek God's will in our lives and teach others to do the same (and I'm not saying you don't). The government has no control over that. And, I am glad.

    You say, "So the laws go, so the culture goes." I think you have it wrong. It's the exact opposite. Laws are a reflection of our culture. Our culture is not a result of our laws. It is our people (culture) who decide our laws. So, if the majority of Alabamians want legalized gambling, then we will elect legislators that share that view. If we don't want it, then we will elect legislators that share that view. During the prohibition era, our laws (18th Amendment) attempted to change our culture and failed. The people were against prohibition and their will won out (21st Amendment)
    Prayer was not taken out of our schools. Mandatory prayer was. As far as I know, students are still allowed to exercise their 1st Amendment right and pray at school. They are also free to have religious after-school activities. They just can't disrupt class without getting in trouble. It's not as if, when the courts decided that prayer couldn’t be a part of official school programming, we all of a sudden weren't allowed to pray at our schools. We just simply stopped. That's on us, not the government. Besides, I think the Jesus was pretty clear about mandatory, ritualistic prayers that don't come from the heart in Matthew 6:5-13. And, let's face it, that's all we lost with that court decision.
    However, I admire what you are trying to do and I wish you success. I just don't make the connection between our nation's downward, spiritual decline and the government.

    I have my own blog, called Thoughts From The Christian Left. And, I live in Wedowee, AL.

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  3. Courtney,

    This Allied Women Post is really the second of a two part blog. The first is entitled Lamentations. I hope you will go back and read it, because it details why it's so important to elect Godly leaders. The Bible teaches us by telling us stories from the lives of those people God spoke directly to. They, the Israelites, recorded what God said to them according to His command. God's words have been preserved for us in order that we may know God. The Old Testament gives us detailed accounts of the theocratic government set up by God for the Israelites and how it went for them. When the leaders were running things according to God's will, their country did well, but when the kings were outside of God's will and command, then things didn't go so well. In the blog entitled "Lamentations," I give an account of a good king and a miraculous victory the Israelites had because he led his countrymen to seek God's face, will, and favor. In our own land, we have had leaders do the same thing. Several Presidents have called upon Americans to pray. In particular, I have Abraham Lincoln in mind. Also, we can learn from the evil men who claimed to be Christians but whose actions clearly spoke against them. Here, I have Adolf Hitler in mind. One of the ways he tried to influence and "brainwash" young people, is to do away with homeschooling. He wanted to make sure he could promote his agenda within the schools of Germany. Also interesting is the fact that an overwhelming majority of the people who elected Hitler were Christian. He lied to them in order to get elected. I'm sure we have seen that in our own nation. We have to look at people's actions to know who they really are. We can't just go on what people say. That's why it's important to look at the candidate's history and voting records. We have to be more informed than we are about the people we elect to hold seats in our government. I personally want to vote for people who hold the same values and principles I do. I am a slave to Christ, and whatever I find written in the Holy Scriptures, this is what I believe. I believe God. I believe His Word. And, I will stand up and fight against any evil coming against my God and His Word. My family and I are committed WARRIORS for Christ.

    On the corporate prayer in schools issue, I have seen a study that outlined the effects this had on schools. One of the charts showed a steady decline in test scores ever since that decision. Common sense gives us several reasons why this could be. Yet, a deeper reason in my way thinking is that when we take God out of the public square in general, anytime we do not acknowledge God corporately, we're making a big mistake. Jesus said, "So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven."

    Also, Allied Women is not affiliated with any political party. We are looking for men and women of character and conviction who are seeking a position in government in order to serve God.

    Sincerely,
    Sherri Burgess

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  4. Some great points - we have to start local and move out from there. I have met Clay Scofield and am excited about what he is bringing to the table.

    Thanks for what you are doing to make Alabama the great state we all know it to be.

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  5. Sherri, your school prayer arguement is classic post hoc reasoning.

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  6. I would like to know who the group is supporting for governor?

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  7. Could you tell me why the group is supporting G. Allen and not phil Poole?

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  8. For some reason, I missed reading this one until today. I absolutely agree that Zeb Little must go!! He has done little other than lie and look after his own interests since elected. It is a disgrace to have this man represent my area!!

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  9. Angie, Allied Women is really concentrating on the Senate races this year because we feel that is where we can make the most impact. We are not endorsing anyone for Governor this time.

    Cindy, Paul Bussman could really use some help up there. Please contact his office to help out his campaign. Put some signs in your front yard for him, anything. He really is a nice guy. He's not perfect, but he is clearly the better choice. He supports ethics legislation and transparency in government that could help cut back on some of the corruption we are seeing right now in our state government. He also is against legalizing gambling which would be disastrous for our state. He is pro-life and pro-family values. He has done a lot of good in your area. I wish I could vote for him!

    Sherri+

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  10. What process did you use to choose your candidates for these Senate seats? Was it simply based on party affiliation? Or did you take the time to discuss issues and personal opinions of each candidate on each side?

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  11. I am a very conservative voter and am a follower of Jesus. Before I will vote for anyone I want to know two things: 1)are you pro-life and 2)are you pro marriage (between a man and woman). I want you to know that I support Marc Keahey instead of Danny Joyner because I know him personally and he stands for these two issues and more. He is great for our area and is available to his constituants. He has given his testimony to our youth group and has supported our area home education group at TeenPact in Montgomery. He has been a great example of a politician for my daughter in some of her local civic involvement.Danny Joyner may be similar, but I want you to know that Marc Keahey is a fine man and represents us well even thought he is affiliated with the Democratic party.

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